Ernest Tidyman

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The French Connection puts the majority of contemporary action movies to shame. It proves how potentially smart this genre can be, and how dumb recent action films really are. Unlike many modern-day thrillers, this film is an exciting, taut, and realistic portrayal of urban police life, but it does not fill its running time with gratuitous violence, nonstop profanity, and copious amounts of sex. Character motivation and story drive the film forward--not a needless excess of violent, antisocial behavior. It's a standout cinematic achievement that won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Film Editing, and Best Writing.

Ernest Tidyman's story follows the adventures of two New York narcotics cops, "Popeye" Doyle (Hackman), and his partner, Russo (Roy Scheider). They track a lead about a large drug delivery that develops into a plan that could entirely destroy the marijuana trade between Paris and New York.

He's one bad-ass mutha -- shut yo mouth! Shaft is, was, and will forever remain the definitive blaxpoitation film, utterly and without question. From the Isaac Hayes composed and performed soundtrack (and Oscar winning, mind you) to Richard Roundtree as the titular bad-ass to the crazy plot (Shaft takes down "Bumpy" and his black crime mob), Shaft is nothing short of a classic. Be sure to see it with a date.

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director -- and his first western -- is a minor classic. High Plains Drifter takes a familiar story (drifter arrives in small town to protect it from outlaws -- and demands a pile of booty in return) and makes it perfectly watchable thanks to Eastwood's smarmy performance and a host of supporting players that acquit themselves well. Forcing the town to rename itself "Hell" and paint everything in it red is just the icing on the cake.